Friday, January 15, 2010

The London/Marrakech Express, Part Six

It was late morning. We sat in the horned chairs outside our room and pondered our plan for the day.

Luca wanted to explore the hotel again, so while Piero made some calls, we crept through the exquisitely detailed hallways and corridors and courtyards (all five of them).

One...

...two...

...three...

...four...

...and five.

After peering into every nook and cranny, Piero reappeared and we headed for a repeat visit to the souk. We tried to assume the insouciance of locals, but our efforts proved hopeless as everything was so enchanting it required a second glance...

...and sometimes a third.

Caution: Becoming oblivious to your surroundings may result in a real-life game of Donkey Kong.

After my harsh jolt back to reality, we repaired to the safety of a cafe where Luca ordered his favorite new elixir: sparkling water and mint syrup. It tasted exactly like fizzy mouthwash, but Piero and I kept that to ourselves.

Lastly, there was a freshly-drawn henna scorpion to make the outing truly indelible.

Back at La Sultana, Luca discovered the pool had a secret viewing window...

...which could be seen from the underground "Jules Verne" bar.

The waiter said we were the only ones to want to take a photo like this.

Formerly owned by French artist Jacques Majorelle (1886-1962), it was purchased by Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé in 1980. The main residence, designed to emulate a Moroccan palace, sits in the midst of a paradise of lush vegetation.

The palette of red, blue, yellow and green is based on Majorelle's fascination with Fauvism.

When Saint Laurent died, he requested that his ashes be buried here.

Sssshh.

Later that night, we prepared for our stealth mission.

(Note: For very important reasons which I will explain later, there are no photos in this section.)

The Plan:

Famed blogger Maryam of My Marrakesh had invited us over for dinner. When I spoke to her that afternoon, she gently nixed our plans to take a cab to her house because, in her words, "we live in a very remote village. Even the taxi drivers can't find it."

The Pick-Up:

At 8pm we had our driver deposit us in front of a giant supermarket about twenty kilometers outside of Marrakech. Imagine Costco meets Home Depot with djellabas, dust and donkeys and you're halfway there. A few minutes later, a black car glided into the parking lot and the window rolled down a crack.

"Are you Lisa?" asked a deep voice.

I nodded.

"Maryam has sent me. Please to get in."

Inside the car, we found the delightful Jaime and David, two honeymooning New Yorkers who had also been invited to dinner and who also had not yet met Maryam. It was turning into a Graham Greene novel. We bounced on unpaved roads deeper and deeper into darkness, through teeny villages (that I swear are not on any Google map) and finally up to an immense gate. In the distance, through a grove of olive trees, a white pavilion beckoned. As we drove up the long drive, we saw two elegant figures standing in the doorway, silhouetted by soft golden light. This was our first glimpse of Maryam and Chris, her husband. It only got better from then on.

The Night:

My memories, in no particular order:

1. Children playing hide-and-seek in a magical outdoor grotto.

2. Plates piled high with Moroccan delicacies.

3. Touring the jaw-dropping, not-to-be-believed main house and grounds.

4. Being serenaded with an impromptu violin concert by two little girls.

5. Laughter. Lots of it.

6. Luca inside a huge Berber tent whispering with four new confidantes.

10. Saying our goodbyes and hearing, "We met with a handshake. We leave with a hug."

The reason I can't show you any of my photos of the night is for a very exciting reason: Maryam is writing a book about her life in Morocco, due out next year on Artisan Books. Well-known editor Ingrid Abramovitch (author of the just-published "Restoring a House in the City") is helming the project, so it's bound to be fabulous...and of course, mum's the word until then.

46 comments:

These Marrakech posts are so very remarkable..if it were possible they should be awarded the highest honour in the land for visual storytelling and evoking such human emotion that puts the reader right there with you. Thank you, thank you. I have been following Maryam as well via Twitter as she is visiting Kabul at the moment, how wonderful to have met her! Imen x

How incredibly delightful, the images .....goats feet strapped to a handlebar??????? the souk , the pool oh it is all so enchanting and then the evening with Maryam! It is a magical mystery tour. (I look forward to that book). I will be sad when these posts end. You have an incredible ability to notice the nooks and crannies of life and write of them with such panache.

This blog is turning into the tales of a thousand and one nights, and you our Scheherazade! Like a snake charmer you have held us all hypnotized with tales of far off lands and treasures. The title of a story teller is an ancient and noble one, you should be proud.. Here is a quote by Gabriel Garcia Marquez: "Writing is a hypnotic act- if successful the writer has hypnotized the reader. Whenever there is a stumble the reader wakes up, comes out of the hypnosis and stops reading..." Lisa, we are all still caught in your dream...

I can't remember where I discovered your blog, but I'm so glad I did. I'm just loving this vicarious visit to Marrakech and dreaming about making the trip myself. Gorgeous photos, wonderful storytelling -- thank you!

Your descriptions of Marrakech are wonderful, I was there in August 2001, and visited the Jardin Marjolle. We stayed at the Villa des Oranges, a very special place and then went on to the atlas mountains for a few days.

Another wonderful read! Please let Luca know that he is not alone in loving Perrier Menthe (the drink of choice besides Pastis during the summer in France) - I too loved it as a kid and even put the syrup on vanilla ice cream. But be sure to buy your syrup (the best is by Teisseire) in Europe - Amazon sells it for $49.99 in the US!

Diane James: I ordered some Tessiere the day we got back because Luca is so besotted with it. But I found it for $7.50 at: http://www.simplygourmand.com/products.php?product=Teisseire-Mint-Syrup

It was definitely refreshing, but had too many childhood memories of Scope for me. :)

Imen McDonnell: Maryam is a rare jewel. I felt as if I was representing all of us in meeting her...!

Helen James: Those feet strapped to the handlebar were something else. Such a brutal beauty to them. Thank you for your lovely comments. xx

Lily: That quote by Marquez slays me and I am so honored that you would use it in reference to my post. You have some mighty fine writerly charms myself, my dear! xx

Dandy: That horned chair was so incredible that every time I got up from it I turned around to make sure it wasn't following me.

Mrs. Blandings: It was one of those nights that you pray lingers in your memory banks forever. I don't want to forget a single detail!

Cashmere Librarian, Materfamilias: Morocco is a place of dreams and desires and donkeys and dust and djellabas. I think you both would love it.The landscape somehow shapes itself on your consciousness. I think it would be impossible to go there and not return unchanged.

Michelle Parks Mccourt: I love that you visited the Majorelle Gardens as well. Wasn't it magical? And the Atlas Mountains...that's up next. One word: Beyond.

I'm absolutely committed to buying Maryam's book the minute it is released. She sounds like the most divine woman! Your adventure into the darkness sounds incredible...glad to hear you found your way back!

Hi Lisa - so many things. First I hope you took on your journey one of those magic bags which is bigger on inside than the outside in order to fit in an overwhelming abundance of tassels, textiles, beaten metal platters etc.

And yes isn't Morrocan wine surprisingly good (but then the local wine usually is I found the same thing with Bulgarian wine).

I saw this week that the YSL \ Berge home in Tangiers (I think) is for sale - a modern eyrie perched on the cliff (you can see it on the Times London website).

You have such a fabulous writing style, and an amazing generous spirit. Thank you for sharing your adventure and thirst for the mysterious. I had such a wonderful evening with you all at Maryam's. When are you coming out with your book!

Luca underwater--so original. Luca diving. In a few years...when he is a man...you will look back on this with such fondness.

The courtyards. Design details.

The horsehoofs on the cycle.

The tone and pace and editing are superb--and the reader follows along, breathless.I could taste and smell and see it.As a special consideration at end of Morocco posts, can you please send factual, practical info on finding more about the hotel. Thank you.Bravo to you--cheers, DIANEwww.thestylesaloniste.com

Thank you Lisa. I share with all comments my gratitude for this wonderful trip which we have now taken with you. As a first-time commenter, I want to add that I have explored many of your book reommendations and love them (specifically, Merry Hall and What Makes you Not a Buddhist). If you have not read English Passengers, you should; you'd love.

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